Awning recess lid operating mechanism



April 22, 1941. H. c. HEISER 2,239,695

AWNING RECESS LID OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 51, 1959 2-Sheets-Sheet 1 April 22, 1941- H. c. HE I'SER AWNING RECESS LID OPERATING MECHANISM v Filed March 31, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 22, 1941 AWNING RECESS LID OPERATING MECHANISM Henry C. Heiser, Parma, Ohio, assignor to The Astrup Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application March 31, 1939, Serial No. 265,080

2 Claims.

The invention relates generally to extensible awning construction having a recess box in a building for enclosing the awning in retracted position and the operating mechanism therefor, and more particularly relates to improved means within the recess box for operating a closure lid for the recess box.

The length of awning recess boxes in some instances may run as high as thirty feet or more so that the closure lid, which is ordinarily made of metal, is relatively heavy and requires the lifting or opening force to be applied at intervals along its length. Since the height and depth of the recess box is limited, and since not only the awning but the awning arms, mounting brackets and awning operating mechanism is enclosed in the box, very little space is available for housing the lid operating mechanism.

Accordingly, in prior constructions the closure lid is pivoted or hinged at or near the top wall of the recess and opened outwardly by a rotatable operating shaft having lever arms secured thereto at intervals and abutting the lid. The shaft may be driven at one end by suitable means, and a worm gear is usually employed, but where the shaft is relatively long the torsion in the shaft causes an unequal amount of force applied to the lever arms so that the lid tends to open a greater amount at the driven end of the shaft than at the other.

Moreover, the lever arms should be short to exert maximum lifting force on the lid, but due to the fact that the lid operating shaft is necessarily located near the top wall of the box to clear the awning, the short lever arms abut the lid near the top thereof; requiring excessive lifting force to open and lift the same.

In certain prior constructions, it has been attempted to supplement the lid lifting force applied through the shaft by using torsion springs surrounding the shaft and acting to urge the lid toward open position.- If such springs are constructed so as to be under compression during the entire lid opening movement they must be relatively long and adapted to unwind during the entire opening movement. However, this necessitates that compression force or winding be applied to the springs during the lid closing movement with the result that the last part of the closing movement is made very diificult because the springs are being compressed or wound up to a maximum degree.

On the. other hand, if the springs are made to become unwound before the end of the lid opening movement. then the last part of the opening movement as well as the last part of the closing movement is very difficult because at those times the springs oppose the action of the lid operating shaft.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of novel and improved recess box lid operating means adapted to require less force for the entire lid opening and closing movement than has heretofore been required in prior constructions.

Another object is to provide lid operating means easily operable by rotating the lid' actuating shaft at one end without requiring any springs or other supplemental lid opening action.

Another object is to greatly simplify and reduce the expense of the lid operating mechanism, making it easier to install, adjust and keep in repair.

A further object is to provide lid actuating means controlled by an operating shaft, the actuating means being adapted to lock the lid in fully open position, independently of the operating shaft or the driving means therefor.

These and other objects are accomplished by the novel and improved lid operating means of the present invention, consisting generally of novel linkages secured to the lid operating shaft for transmitting opening force to the closure'lid, said linkages being so constructed and arranged as to take advantage of substantially maximum leverage action in transmitting force from the shaft to a lever arm and from the lever arm to the lid.

Referring to the drawings forming part hereof in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example.

Figure l is a fragmentary front elevation of an awning construction in a recess box with the lid removed and embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view as on line 2-2, Fig, 1, showing the lid in open position in full lines; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view as on line 33, Fig. 1, with the lid in closed position.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

An awning recess box suitable for being installed in a recess in a building Wall is shown in Figs.-1 and 2 of the drawings. preferably includes a top wall 5, bottom Wall 6 and rear wall I and may be secured in the building recess in a usual manner.

The awning shown preferably includes laterally folding arms which are not illustrated for The recess box no part of the present invention. However, each laterally folding arm is mounted in a usual fashion on a wall bracket 8, such as shown in Fig, 2, which is mounted within the recess box on the rear wall I thereof.

The awning material indicated at 9 has its free edge secured to a front rod I and is rolled on an awning roller II rotatably mounted at its ends within the recess on brackets I2 preferably secured to the rear Wall 'I of the recess box. As shown, the awning material and the front bar I0 are entirely enclosed within the recess box when the awning is in retracted position.

The means for driving the awning roller II for extending and retracting the awning preferably includes a drive shaft I3 having a hook I4 at its lower end for being engaged by a winding tool, the shaft I3 being operatively connected to the shaft I5 of the roller II by usual gearing housed in a gear housing indicated at I6.

The awning construction thus far described is of usual and well known construction and per se forms no part of the present invention.

A closure lid IT is provided for the front of the recess box, and is preferably hinged at its top edge upon the front edge of the top wall 5 of the recess box, as indicated at I8. This closure lid is usually constructed of metal or other durable and long wearing material, and consequently has considerable weight, especially when the recess box is elongated.

The means for operating the closure lid I'I to open and close the same preferably includes a shaft I9 extending longitudinally of the box throughout substantially the entire length thereof. This shaft is rotatably mounted in a series of spaced brackets 29 which may be supported on the top wall 5 of the box, and which are equipped with suitable bearings 2| in which the lid operating shaft I9 is journaled. In order to clear the awning when it is extended, the shaft !9 is necessarily located near the top of the: recess box at the front portion thereof.

Means for rotating the lid operating shaft I9 in opposite directions may include any suitable driving means, and I prefer to use a worm gear 22 having a depending shaft 23 with a hook 24 atits lower end for being engaged by a winding tool, the shaft being rotatablysupported on a base plate 25 in the recess box by means of a bracket 26 and a bracket arm 21 connected thereto and engirdling the shaft 23.

The upper end of theshaft 23 may be journaled in a bracket 28 suitably mounted on the end of the building recess, and the worm gear 22 meshes with a gear segment 29 secured on the lid operating shaft I 9. As shown, the drive shaft 23 may extend through the front opening of the recess box, in which case a suitable slot is provided in the closure lid H, for fitting over the shaft 23 when the lid is in closed position.

The improved means for operativelyconnecting the lid operating shaft I9 to the closure lid I1 preferably includes a series of lever'arms 36 arranged at intervals along the shaft I9 preferably adjacent to the shaft mounting brackets 26. These arms 30 are preferably secured to the shaft I9 by means of set screws 3| so that the. arm portions 32 project upwardly from the shaft when the closure lid I1 is in closed position.

Preferably the lever arms 36 are slotted in their front laterally central portions as indicated at 33, so as to provide two upright arm portions 32 connected by a rear web 34. A link is pivotally connected at one end to the upper ends of the arm portions 32 in a suitable manner, as by means of the pivot pin 36, and the link is adapted to enter the slot 33 between the arm portions 32 when the lid I1 is in closed position as shown in Fig. 3. Preferably, the link is curved as at 31 to fit around the shaft I9 when the lid is in closed. position, so that the pivotal connection 36 is located substantially above the shaft I9.

The outer end of the link 35 is pivotally connected in a suitable manner to the bottom portion of the lid I'I. Preferably the outer end of the link is provided with a hole 38 which fits loosely around the shank of a screw 39 secured to the bottom end portion of the lid I I, although other types of pivotal connections may be employed and. the link may be made adjustable in length, if desired.

In the operation of the lid operating means, when it is desired to open the lid the shaft 23 is turned in a direction to rotate the shaft I9 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3. Due to the fact that. the distance between the center of the shaft I9 and the pivot 36 is relatively short, a relativelygreat amount of force is applied to the upper end of the link 35. This force is transmitted by the link to the bottom end portion of the closure lid I'I so as to most effectively utilize the force in opening and lifting the load of the lid.

Since the pivotal connection 36 is substantially directly over the operating shaft I9 at the start of the opening movement the pivot 36 moves a considerable distance in order to move the lid I1 any material distance outwardly, so that the initial opening movement is relatively easy.

As the pivot 36 rotates downwardly to further open the lid I'I, increased force must be applied to the driving shaft 23, but since the lever arm 32 is relatively short and the opening force is applied to the lid I! at its bottom portion, the lid can be easily moved to its fully open position without requiring more than the ordinary manual force to be applied to the driving shaft 23.

As the lid I1 approaches the fully open position shown in Fig. 2 the pivotal connection 36 passes over center with respect to the shaft I9 and the pivotal connection between the outer end of link 35 and the lid, so that the web portion 34 of the lever arm 39 engages the top of link 31, as indicated in Fig. 2, and. locks the lid in the fully open position. Thus the lid IT cannot be closed without rotation in the opposite direction of the operating shaft I9, regardless of the driving means used to rotate the shaft I9. When the pivotal connection 36 passes over center all torque'is automatically removed from the operating shaft I9, and by rotating the oper-.- ating shaft I9 in the opposite direction the lid is easily moved to fully closed position.

The improved lid operating mechanism occupies a minimum amount of space within the recess box, and provides for easily opening and closing a relatively long heavy lidwithout requiring any springs or other supplemental lid operating means.

I claim:

l. Lid operating mechanism for an awning recess box including a lid openating shaft rotatably mounted in the box adjacent the top thereof, means for rotating the shaft, a lever arm secured. on the shaft and projecting upwardly therefrom, and a link pivotally connected at its upper end to said lever arm and extending downwardly between said shaft and said lid, the lower end of said link being pivotally connected to the bottom portion of said closure lid, and said link being positioned to lie closely alongside: the lid at all times.

2. Lid operating mechanism for an awning recess box having a lid hinged at the top of the links plvotally connected at their upper ends to the upper ends of said lever arms and extending downwardly therefrom between the shaft and lid in closed position, the lower ends of said links being pivotally connected to the bottom portion of said lid,-s'aid links being curved to fit around said shaft when the lid is in closed position, and said links being positioned to lie closely alongside the lid at all times.

HENRY C. HEISER. 

